Riquewihr, one of the prettiest villages in France
NewswireToday - /newswire/ - London, United Kingdom - Some years ago, the Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel has picked Alsace in France as one of the hot regions in the world to visit. In 2018 our region of Colmar-Riquewihr, Alsace was voted #3 Best Destination in Europe. Alsace is one of the most beautiful and distinctive regions of France and is famous for its wine, gastronomy and wine tourism facilities.
Alsace is in eastern France on the Rhine River border with Germany. It is unquestionably spectacularly beautiful. A very special combination of history, culture, scenery, and especially food and wine makes it one of the most delightful places to visit in all of Europe. - John Egan
Riquewihr is the jewel in the crown - famous for the Riesling and other great Alsace wines produced here - and looks today exactly as it did in the 16th Century. Riquewihr is a wonderful and romantic little medieval city hidden between the Vosges mountains and some of the most famous vineyards in Alsace. Although in a very preserved area, Riquewihr is only 7 miles from Colmar and minutes from other famous alsatian villages like Ribeauvillé, Hunawihr, Eguisheim or Kaysersberg.
Simply walk out of your holiday apartment and go for beautiful walks in the forest and mountain or through some of the most famous vineyards in Alsace, the choice is yours!
Regularly our guests staying in our holiday apartments in the historical village of Riquewihr were insisting in having the opportunity to get deeper in the world of our local wines. With this new private (10 people maximum) wine seminar in English open to every wine lover we are fulfilling their wishes!
- Learn how to taste and serve wines like a pro! Wine service and wine tasting explained under the guidance of a professional sommelier. Take your new skills back home and use them with any wines.
- Discover the wines of Alsace, Riquewihr and their history.
- Taste 9 great wines of Riquewihr, including some Grands Crus.
- Wines and gastronomy: how to pair wine with food? The wine tasting comes with a lunch of refined morsels carefully paired with each wine.
"If there’s a more delightful prospect anywhere in Europe than the Alsace wine route, I’d like to hear about it. I mean, consider: we have, first, the Vosges mountains — rounded, forested and with just enough drama to give matters an edge. Up top, castles look out from craggy summits, their sting now drawn. Down below, vineyards unfurl right to the gates of villages whose half-timbered streets tell tales stretching back to the middle ages. " -
James Preston, Sunday Times, JAN 7, 2007.
Three of our romantic vacation rental apartments are in the most picturesque part of the external city wall built in the year 1500. On the picture (below on the right), the Dove's Nest***** house is the large part behind the trees, on the left side of the just married couple. More left, before the bushes, the Sentinel***** apartment is on the first floor and the attic. Part of the studio The Refuge of the Imp*** can be seen, embedded in the city wall below the Sentinel apartment. Access to these vacation rentals are on the other side of the ramparts, in the picturesque Rue des Remparts. The door at the bottom of the wall is in fact hiding the external part of our airconditioning system. Since the city wall is a national heritage listed building, it was necessary to prove some imagination to hide the ugly (but useful) modern appliances!
Western side of the ramparts of Riquewihr, France. On the left the gate is still as it was 5 centuries ago. Some of our vacation apartments are right in the middle of the picture, inside the old city wall!
Some of our vacation rental apartments are in the most picturesque part of the ramparts of Riquewihr. Here a photographer is shooting the official wedding photos for a local young couple just married.
We are proud to present our collection of new outstanding luxury holiday homes in Riquewihr, Alsace: 4 holiday apartments are located in a big Renaissance house which was a former winery built in 1580 on the first belt of the ramparts (built 3 centuries earlier in the year 1291). The property is facing the famous Schoenenbourg Grand Cru vineyard producing some of the best wines in Alsace; 2 other holiday apartments are located in a 17th Century nearby house. The houses are surrounding a small garden. The whole renovation project took almost 4 years of hard work. The result is a gem!
Riquewihr is certainly the object of an enchantment which lasts for centuries. Its layout and structure have not changed since the Middle Ages, and every piece of architecture is miraculously preserved. If today’s Riquewihr resembles the Middle Age town so much it is because people have not changed much either, for they have the same lifestyle and their existence revolves around the industry of winemaking. It is the aroma of this particular wine that you smell in every ‘Winstub” of the main street. Wine is everywhere and everything in Riquewihr and may be the cause of the enchantment. George Kassianos, wine expert Cyprus.
As you may imagine, Riquewihr is a successful tourist destination in Alsace, France. But most of the tourists are only coming to Riquewihr for the day. At 6 o'clock in the evening, most of the visitors are gone and this beautiful village will be yours until late in the morning of the next day. The next pictures below are taken at approx 9:30 am... And finally, there is hardly any car traffic allowed in the narrow and picturesque streets of the historical village of Riquewihr. This means that your vacation rental apartment is in a priviledged place.
Colorful alsatian medieval houses in the main street of Riquewihr, France. The three persons standing on the right side are in front of the famous Hugel winemaker's house.
Plenty of romantic discoveries to make within walking distance of your vacation rental. This is the part of the street in front of the Winemaker's property (Sylvaner, Klevner, Muscat, Riesling and Gewurztraminer holiday homes)
Riquewihr, although being only a village of 1300 inhabitants, is the third city in Alsace, after the much larger towns of Strasbourg and Colmar, for the number of National Heritage houses! The splendor of Riquewihr finds its roots in the Renaissance period (16th and 17th Centuries) and is mainly due to the revenue generated by the excellent wines produced in the village.
Day tour to the Vosges mountains and vineyard
This spectacular private day tour to the Vosges mountains and vineyard will give you a good overview of the traditions and delicacies on the countryside and in the Vosges mountains. Check more details here
Black Forest farms and Kaiserstuhl vineyard in Germany.
This spectacular day out to discover the Black Forest farms and Kaiserstuhl vineyard will give you a good overview of nearby Germany. Discover incredible landscapes, the famous Black Forest farms, cross the Kaiserstuhl vineyards and taste a good local wine. Check more details here
With this day tour to the Vosges mountains you will learn how to produce munster cheese, enjoy breathtaking landscapes and in addition view beautiful traditional timber-framed Alsatian houses. Last but not least, you will visit a small family mountain wine estate producing world-class wines.
The Black Forest farms and Kaiserstuhl vineyard tour will first take us to the Rhine river near Breisach-am-Rhein. After that we will cross the plain on the German side, a land of plenty where everything grows thanks to a land fertilised by the river Rhine for millennia. Soon the first vineyards will be in sight, at the foot of the mountain.
Within the town’s well-preserved walls, are tight alleys and uneven streets void of cars, with the exception of the few natives’ vehicles, town’s people who live in charming half-timbered homes, each one a different hue of the rainbow. Yes colorful dwellings not just the typical off white plaster straw and dark beamed homes of European medieval villages one sees on TV. Riquewihr‘s homes and stores range in light shades of baby blue, pale yellow, mauve, faded turquoise and light green. Michael J. Meese
On the upper part of the main street, the famous Dolder medieval tower (local history museum and beautiful panorama).
One of the many old fountains in Riquewihr
On each side of the main street of Riquewihr, there are many beautiful hidden little streets. The "day trippers" who are in a hurry hardly explore this part of the village. But if you are an adept of Slow Travel in Alsace and while staying in one of our holiday homes in Riquewihr, this part of the village will offer you a lot of interesting discoveries.
Only a few yards away from the main street is one of the two churches of Riquewihr
From Spring to late in the Fall, weather permitting, many pleasant terraces appear in the streets of Riquewihr. Nice places to sit and sip local wine or beer!
Take some time to leave the main street beaten track and discover the hidden and secluded streets of Riquewihr. Lift your eyes and you will see so many wonderful architectural details...
Not sure these little streets are even 100 meters from the main street of Riquewihr...
Where are the tourists?
Many beautiful architectural details are awaiting the visitor who takes some time to observe...
Another picturesque little street.
The pittoresque St Nicholas street near our vacation rentals
The 'Rue des Remparts' leading to our vacation rentals. Riquewihr is a picture perfect jewel in the heart of Alsace, with its multi-colored flowers and cobblestone streets.
Day tour to the Vosges mountains and vineyard
This spectacular private day tour to the Vosges mountains and vineyard will give you a good overview of the traditions and delicacies on the countryside and in the Vosges mountains. Check more details here
Black Forest farms and Kaiserstuhl vineyard in Germany.
This spectacular day out to discover the Black Forest farms and Kaiserstuhl vineyard will give you a good overview of nearby Germany. Discover incredible landscapes, the famous Black Forest farms, cross the Kaiserstuhl vineyards and taste a good local wine. Check more details here
With this day tour to the Vosges mountains you will learn how to produce munster cheese, enjoy breathtaking landscapes and in addition view beautiful traditional timber-framed Alsatian houses. Last but not least, you will visit a small family mountain wine estate producing world-class wines.
The Black Forest farms and Kaiserstuhl vineyard tour will first take us to the Rhine river near Breisach-am-Rhein. After that we will cross the plain on the German side, a land of plenty where everything grows thanks to a land fertilised by the river Rhine for millennia. Soon the first vineyards will be in sight, at the foot of the mountain.